Zoom Apps Camera Mode: runRenderingContext succeeds but virtual camera missing / drawWebView blank on Windows

Zoom Apps
1

Zoom Apps Configuration

Framework: Vanilla JS / Node.js / Express
Platform: Windows
Zoom Client: Zoom Workplace Desktop on Windows
Zoom Apps SDK: Zoom Apps SDK with Camera Mode / Layers API
App type: Zoom App running inside Zoom meeting sidebar

Enabled SDK capabilities in Zoom Developer Console and zoomSdk.config:

  • getRunningContext
  • runRenderingContext
  • drawParticipant
  • drawWebView
  • postMessage
  • onMessage
  • onRenderedAppOpened
  • getUserContext
  • getMeetingParticipants

Description

I am building a Zoom App that should display confetti over the host’s live webcam feed using Camera Mode / Layers API.

Expected behavior:

  1. Host opens the Zoom App in the meeting sidebar.
  2. Host clicks “Enable Camera Overlay Mode”.
  3. The app calls runRenderingContext({ view: “camera” }).
  4. Zoom creates the app’s virtual camera device.
  5. In the inCamera context, the app waits for onRenderedAppOpened.
  6. The app calls drawParticipant at zIndex: 1 for the host video.
  7. The app calls drawWebView at zIndex: 2 for the transparent confetti overlay.
  8. The host selects the Zoom Apps virtual camera device from the Zoom camera dropdown.

Actual behavior:

  • runRenderingContext resolves successfully.
  • The app shows a success message saying camera overlay mode is enabled.
  • The inMeeting sidebar flow works.
  • postMessage / onMessage works for cross-process messaging.
  • onRenderedAppOpened fires.
  • drawParticipant / drawWebView calls appear to resolve.
  • But the Zoom Apps virtual camera device does not appear in the Zoom camera dropdown on Windows.
  • In some tests, drawWebView appears to render blank/invisible.

Error?

There is no thrown JavaScript error in the app. The problem is that the SDK calls resolve, but the expected Zoom Apps virtual camera device is missing from the camera selection dropdown.

In previous testing, I also saw this error during one attempt:

“The app already called render js-api first”

But the current main blocker is no visible Zoom Apps virtual camera device in the Zoom camera dropdown.

Troubleshooting Routes Already Tried

  • Enabled all required SDK capabilities in the Zoom Developer Console.
  • Added the same capabilities to zoomSdk.config.
  • Built two separate app contexts:
    • inMeeting sidebar controller
    • inCamera off-screen renderer
  • Hid all normal UI in the inCamera context and used transparent background.
  • Waited for zoomSdk.onRenderedAppOpened before drawing.
  • Used drawParticipant at zIndex: 1.
  • Used drawWebView at zIndex: 2.
  • Replaced BroadcastChannel with Zoom SDK postMessage / onMessage.
  • Confirmed message passing from sidebar to camera context works.
  • Tried clean Zoom restart and retesting.

Questions

  1. Is this a known Windows Zoom Workplace issue with Camera Mode / Layers API?
  2. Is this related to issue ZSEE-195647?
  3. Which Zoom Workplace version is currently known-good for Camera Mode?
  4. Is drawWebView currently supported/reliable in Camera Mode on Windows?
  5. Should production apps use drawImage instead of drawWebView for overlays?
  6. Is there any extra account entitlement, app review state, or Marketplace setting required for the Zoom Apps virtual camera device to appear?
  7. Are there any logs from the Zoom Desktop Client that I should collect and attach?

Related thread: